Blood Lotus
A special type of flower native to Thirshalon. The flowers can be dangerous, compelling people to follow its instructions. It can grant the holder control over magic, even if that person is not a mage naturally. The flowers are powerful and highly valued, but they are not native to Sylvatir and don't appear to grow in the wild there. The Noctyr Woman had some knowledge of them, saying that the lotus can grow on the night of the full moon near a Magical Fount in the northern foothills of Thirshalon. Upon arriving at the wellspring in the foothills, the Children found it encircled by fully blooming red lotus flowers. These flowers appear to grant magic to the holder. They were destroyed, save one, by Oren. Oren's Seed Oren discovered a Blood Lotus seed in his master's library. He planted the seed in a bowl of water. Nothing happened, so Oren looked it up in a book on Botany and found the following passage. An ancient type of blossoming flower that uses fresh blood, not water, to grow. Blood Lotuses grow best when placed in pools of blood rather than when planted in soil. The petals of the Blood Lotus have a variety of magical purposes, and as such the lotus, though rare, is highly sought after. Blood Lotuses were exceptionally common in Thirshalon, but were nearly completely wiped out with the Maker's Reckoning. They are not native to Sylvatir. After months of adding blood to the bowl, the flower finally bloomed. It spoke to Oren and sent him on a geas that would eventually lead him to Thirshalon. The Quest After leaving the tower, this flower was dried and stored in a small leather pouch tied to a chain around Oren's neck, hanging under his shirt near his heart. While using it as an Arcane Device he could shoot red bursts of energy from it and power other spells. He could not stand to be far from it for long, and was impatient to follow its instruction. Focusing on his powers as a Child of Destiny helped him set aside this compulsion and care about other things. Planting After arriving at the wellspring in the cave north of Ariglodo, Oren planted the seeds and buried all the petals of the lotus. He stabbed himself in the wrist to provide blood but was stopped by Eliam and Minerva. Minerva brought Herb, one of the Thirshalon Children they had captured, to be bled instead. Oren slit his throat and killed him, draining all of his blood into the pool. The seeds began to grow into a large vine, taking aether from the wellspring, and eventually grew into a huge forty foot tall plant that transformed into a snake. The snake spoke into the minds of everyone present and revealed itself to be Kunalchusi, the enemy of The Maker. It swore revenge upon her for locking him inside the seed, then flew off into the sky. Oren's new flower The new flower is red and was picked by the wellspring in northern Thirshalon. Oren put it in a pocket and can use it as an arcane device. Category:Item